Abstract

The wine industry faces global challenges, such as the decrease in per capita consumption, the increase in transportation costs for international shipments, and changes in final consumer preferences. In this global context, the Chilean wine market faces local challenges, such as climate change affecting crops and water availability, and the sustained increase in energy and labor costs.

Within the wine production process, one of the most important stages in terms of cost and variability is the final filtration of the wine. This allows the removal of microorganisms such as yeasts and bacteria, as well as other particles and colloids, before bottling, as they can affect the organoleptic properties of the wine. Due to the nature of the processes and the use of additives in the winemaking stage, the wine may contain particles in different quantities and distributions, as well as different mechanical properties.

Considering this, indirect methods have been developed to measure particle content and their clogging potential; however, there is no clear evidence of their level of use or implementation in the industry, nor detailed analyses of the variability associated with these methods and how they contribute to decision-making in the bottling process. In this context, a review is conducted of the methods used in the industry to estimate the solids content in a wine sample; the adoption of these methods is assessed through questionnaires and interviews with wine-producing companies in Chile; a systematic search of existing methods in the literature is carried out, and the variability and capacity of the method to contribute to operational decisions in the industry are analyzed using experimental methods, in addition to identifying the methodological and practical challenges associated with their use

With this, the aim is to provide useful and practical tools for decision-making in the bottling process, allowing the industry to control costs and adequately plan production.